City, state look to improve downtown traffic

Saturday

May 10, 2014 at 12:01 AM

The Florida Department of Transportation is conducting two road studies along State Road 40 in downtown Ocala.

By Susan Latham CarrStaff writer

The Florida Department of Transportation is conducting two road studies along State Road 40 in downtown Ocala. One concerns installing two northbound turn lanes. The other involves narrowing the roadway from four lanes to two between Pine and Northeast Eighth avenues.

"This is what we gave to DOT," City Engineer Sean Lanier said about the plans being studied. "This is to get the conversation started."He said the city is in the preliminary stages of determining the costs and impacts on traffic.At the very least, the city is hoping to add the two northbound turn lanes for traffic heading east along SR 40, also known as Silver Springs Boulevard.At the most, the city would like to see the boulevard narrowed from four lanes to two in the downtown between Pine and Northeast Eighth avenues. This move would allow for the addition of bicycle lanes or on-street parking or a combination.The two turn lanes being proposed are where SR 40 intersects with North Magnolia and Northeast First avenues.Currently, "there's no access to the north. Eastbound traffic can't make a left turn to get to the north side," Lanier said.And that, he said, is a concern to the North Magnolia Merchants Association."They feel like they are isolated," Lanier said. "We are working with businesses to try to meet their concerns."Right now, North Magnolia Avenue is one-way on both the north and south sides of the boulevard. If the turn lane were added on Silver Springs Boulevard, allowing eastbound traffic to turn left onto North Magnolia, the plan is to convert the roadway on the north side of the boulevard to two-way traffic for one block.Because the traffic would become two-way, traffic southbound on North Magnolia Avenue would be able to make a left turn to head east onto the boulevard.If a left-turn lane were added on Silver Springs Boulevard at the Northeast First Avenue intersection, eastbound traffic would then be able to head north, something it cannot do currently. Northeast First Avenue would remain one-way."We are very much in favor of that," Floyd Hershberger, president of the North Magnolia Merchants' Association, said about the two proposed turn lanes. "It's something that we have talked about for at least 12 years, and because you can't make a turn off Silver Springs Boulevard into the north area comfortably, you have to go around the block or go down further and spiral back."He said having the turn lanes would certainly make a difference."I think this is something that would certainly help break down that invisible barrier we call Silver Springs Boulevard," Hershberger said, referring to the reluctance of pedestrians and motorists to travel north of the boulevard.FDOT is paying the cost of both studies. Judy Pizzo at FDOT's District 5 planning and corridor development office could not be reached for comment on Friday.Lanier would like to see SR 40 narrowed to two lanes through the downtown. That is the focus of the second study that FDOT is conducting."That's to make it better for pedestrians, for bicycles or whatever mode of transportation, not just cars," Lanier said.He said FDOT would conduct public meetings with stakeholders regarding the studies, possibly in June and August.While eastbound traffic along the boulevard from Pine Avenue to Northeast Eighth Avenue would be one lane the whole length, more lanes would be available for westbound traffic the closer one gets to Pine.Westbound traffic from Northeast Eighth Avenue to Northwest First Avenue would be one lane. From Northwest First Avenue to Northwest Third Avenue would be two lanes. And from Northwest Third Avenue to Pine would be four lanes, which is the same as the current configuration.Lanier said the second study would include the turn lanes.To funnel eastbound traffic traveling along SR 40 into one lane on the east side of Pine Avenue would require traffic in the left lane on the west side of Pine Avenue to turn left, heading north to U.S. 27. Traffic in the right lane would turn right toward State Road 200.The center lane traffic would proceed straight across Pine."If you are not going downtown, we want you to go around downtown," Lanier said. "If you have business downtown, then we want you to come in."He said narrowing that portion of the roadway would have a minimal cost because it, largely, would involve striping."Paint is cheap," Lanier said.He said if the city wants to beautify the roadway, such as having bulb-outs with shrubs in them, that would drive up costs.Oscar Tovar, the city's traffic engineer, said the city of DeLand has completed a similar project, narrowing the roadway through its downtown."The local businesses, I believe they like it," Tovar said.